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Gubernatorial candidate Sen. Jack Hatch now has a better understanding of the impact factory farms have on everyday Iowans and their communities.

On Saturday, nine CCI Action members took Senator Hatch on a van tour of rural Carroll County – an area dotted with huge corporate-owned factory farms (including 20,000 hogs in eight factories less than 1/4 miles from the Raccoon River). Members shared personal testimony about the factory farms and the impact on their lives.

After the tour, Senator Hatch attended a powerful community forum where CCI Action Fund members told Hatch why clean water and stopping factory farms are important to them.

Here are the top five things Senator Hatch said he learned from the day:

“CAFOs are not farmers, they are corporate facilities.”
“The management of the manure systems is inadequate and we need to put real teeth in that…this governor has systematically reduced staff at every level, including at the DNR.”
“CAFO pollution is a real human health issue.”
“This is everybody’s problem across all of Iowa.”
“Enforcement is lacking. As governor I will ensure we have staffing, enforcement, and stronger laws.”

It was a great day. It’s important we continue to engage all gubernatorial candidates on this issue – and show up strong this legislative session.

January 14th at our People First Iowa: 2014 Rally and Lobby Day is a critical time to set the issue environment this legislative session – and into the 2014 elections.

Join us to work towards taking down Governor Branstad, and pushing for Iowa’s next clean water governor.